Cough syrups, alcohol-laced gummy bears and ganja disguised in e-cigarettes are among the products being abused by Jamaican teens in their quest to get a high and relieve stress, but there are concerns that this might be placing their health and future development in jeopardy. Substance abuse is when you take drugs that are not legal. It’s also when you use alcohol, prescription medicine, and other legal substances too much or in the wrong way. Having a cough is never a pleasant experience - whether you're suffering yourself, or you're being woken in the night by a sick partner. And knowing the best way to deal with it can be difficult. Do codeine pills get you high? There is currently a massive problem with opioids including prescription painkillers in the U.S. Since codeine is an opioid, it is considered part of the epidemic sweeping the nation. Codeine with promethazine is frequently prescribed to people to treat a wide variety of symptoms. Codeine with promethazine is a combination medicine that can treat the symptoms of the common cold, allergies, the flu, and various breathing illnesses like bronchitis and sinusitis. Codeine Addiction. Codeine is a short-acting pain medication and is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Short-acting means its effects last only a few hours per dose. Codeine cough syrup’s main ingredient is a mild opioid narcotic, making it a target of abuse for people seeking narcotic highs. Codeine can be taken by adults and children aged 12 years and older. Only give codeine to children (aged 12 to 18 years) if everyday painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen haven't worked. Aside from high school kids, who are obviously drawn to its ready availability at almost any store, the group most associated with abusing cough syrup would probably be alcoholics. Codeine is an opiate used to treat pain, as a cough medicine, and for diarrhea. It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Evidence does not support its use for acute cough.